California Donuts

ITS ATTRACTIVE
ITS APPETIZING
but taste is ehh. He pink box donuts actually is preferred over these VERY artificial tasting ones .
But I love that it’s open 24 hrs :)
Great for photos
Great for ig

3 words: Green tea donut.
Even though parking blows, I’ve been here three times now JUST for the green tea donuts (and some donut holes!). I’ve tried others, but the green tea is what has kept me coming back even with the hour long drive and 30 minutes to try to find parking.

My roommates and I decided on a spontaneous donut run to LA, no big deal lol. Parking is going to be tough! We went on a Sunday night around 9−10pm. CA Donuts is located in a very small plaza and our chances of finding parking in there were slim. We parked nearby in the neighborhood. I must admit, the area is a little sketch… but if you go with a group of people, it shouldn’t be too bad. There was a long line which was expected.
I love that all the donuts are displayed through the glass windows… SO MANY COLORS *_​* HEADS UP, the donuts are a little pricey compared to usual ones! The «normal» donuts were $ 1 each, and the specialty ones range from $ 2 to $ 3!
1. Green tea ($ 1) — I was excited to try this one, but it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be! The matcha flavor is definitely there, but for some reason, it was as if the dough overpowered the frosting?
2. Pink sprinkles ($ 1) — It reminds me of the donut from The Simpsons! Super cute. It has a hint of strawberry to it.
3. Blueberry toast crunch ($ 2.50 I think) — This was a unique combination! I enjoyed the blueberry frosting. It was a specialty one so a bit pricey. It wasn’t too bad, but not my favorite.
I was actually very disappointed… The donuts were all really sweet (except for the green tea one) like to the point where I couldn’t even enjoy the donut itself. I understand why they are so hyped up because they all look very cute! But I was expecting some better tasting ones :(However, the staff was very friendly. Props to them for being open 24 hours!
Final thoughts: I’ll stick to my local donut shops if I want to actually enjoy the donuts. Maybe I will consider going back to try different flavors. It is definitely worth a try so DO IT FOR THE PICS and the experience haha.

Great for pictures but didn’t taste as good as it looks. I don’t think it was worth the parking hassle plus long line that you have to go through.
I ordered custom donuts and they quoted me a price but charged me more when I got there. Plus they got my order wrong. I asked for chocolate with blue sprinkles (blue is my daughters favorite color). But received colorful donuts instead. It was still cute and all but wasn’t what she expected.

What happened to the quality of this place!!! :(The cronuts use to be crunchy, the donuts use to have texture vs stale. There is always a line now, and impossible to find parking. It would be worth it if the quality stayed the same. Still can’t beat $ 2 for a cronut.
Service: The ladies are still very sweet and nice. They’ll let you take you time to pick your donut. But again, I would recommend to be decisive when its your turn. This place is like a drive through for walkers.
Parking: Almost impossible in the small plaza. There MIGHT be street parking — again this is ktown (nearly impossible to come up on parking at times). There is one handicap parking spot that is open at times for those who are disabled. Recommend they come with a friend to line up for them in case they’re not able to stand as long.
Lines: Weekday nights could range from 15min-​40min at times. Day time is a better time to visit. Open 247.
No longer our local donut shop to visit. We’re hitting more west to SK doughnuts now haha

Finally tried this place! I had heard so much about it and kept seeing so many photos of their adorable donuts. I’ve driven by this place at night and seen that the line is really long so I hadn’t gone in.
Came here on a Thursday at around 4pm, and there was no line and parking in the little lot in front! The staff were all extremely friendly and patient while deciding which donuts to choose. They’re all so cute and special. Got a dozen donuts that came out to $ 29. But not only are they absolutely adorable, they’re really delicious! Probably some of the best donuts I’ve had.
I definitely recommend coming here, but during a down time where there is no wait and parking available.

THESE NUTS, DO’H!
I enjoyed everything about this one-​stop donut shop! What’s not to like?!! They’re PRO when it comes to pleasing the crowds’ sweet cravings ALL DAY EVERY DAY! It’s true ’cause they don’t ever close. ²⁴⁄₇ CRAZINESS on the corner of 3RD ST && NEW HAMPSHIRE ST. This is the beeznit.
BRING YO FRIENDS Y LA FAMILIA! I highly suggest to CARPOOL dough because parking is hectic, NO JOKE. And GOOD LUCK finding it around the main streets/​residential area. If I circled around the neighborhood 3 times, you will too. DAY or NIGHT. The parking lot only had 8 – 10 spots, then 2 disabled spots. Aside from that, it’s tight af. It’s a shared parking lot with other businesses.
All the flavors were so tempting. I almost just wanted to stick to the DONUT HOLES since it’s my go-​to at any donut places haha. I highly recommend the PANDA, MATCHA && BLUEBERRY TOAST! I have yet to try the other flavors but the prices were OK. They range from $ 2 to $ 3. I got half a dozen and it cost me $ 14. All worth it.
I came around 8pm on a Tuesday night so it wasn’t as bad. Actually, there wasn’t any wait to order. Everyone else was just as indecisive as we were. EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD! I heard so much good things about this place so I had high expectations. Customer service was awesome. The cashier complimented me on my G-​shock watch. What a sweet lady (:
As a first timer, it threw me off when as we were leaving, a couple of guys parked and walked by me to order some donuts. GUESS WHAT… they had that POT FUNK all over them. oh great, they’re HIGH af for deez nuts, DO’H! It’s their business, I just wished they kept their distance. Besides, who am I to stop them from their munchiesss. I bet the donuts tasted OFF THE HOOK with them LOL.
The parking sucked balls. but I knew that before hand. KTOWN/​LA is known for that BS. It’d be cool if the had a DRIVE-​THRU but I’m just wishful thinking here. Another downer, NO HORCHATA SMOOTHIE! I’ve seen pictures on Unilocal and was really looking forward to trying it. SAD FACE.
I’d definitely come back and bring my friends. It’s a great treat after a hefty lunch or dinner in Ktown or dtLA.

PARKING IS TERRIBLE. I cannot emphasize that enough. Street parking is near impossible, the small lot they have almost never has spots. On a busy street in ktown.
Lines are long depending on what time, I went at 3am and it was packed but I have also been at 2pm and it was not.
Prices are pretty high, but they are 24 hours. The quality of the donut itself is slightly above average, the only really special aspects are the appearance and presentation. I have tried almost every specialty donut here and the only one that keeps me coming back is the snickers donut! Has a full size king snickers bar in it, makes my mouth water just thinking about it. They had girl scout cookie inspired donuts, the Samoa one was very good, one of the few unique ones I actually enjoyed. he fruity pebbles one is also good, but it’s definitely not uncommon to find at other spots. I would not recommend the panda or green tea donut, simply did not meet taste expectations.
Miscommunication may occur because they can’t hear you through the glass when you pick out your donuts so it can get a little frantic when they grab one you didn’t want!
If there’s a line, skip it, unless you got nothing better to do. If there’s no line, it’s worth trying.

2016 Unilocal 100 REVIEW CHALLENGE ³⁄₁₀₀ —-
I knew I had to definitely stop by this place after hearing so many good reviews from family and friends. Since we were in the area we decided why not?!
I actually wanted to give this place a 3 star because of the parking situation. It was ridiculous. I felt like I was doing a drive by. We had to jump out of the car while my husband drove around trying to find parking. The lot is super small.
Everything, the whole place actually, is behind glass. Try not to scream because they can hear you perfectly clear.
Now to the good part. The donuts were extremely cute. Especially the panda one. As for taste, I found it above average. My favorite one though was the blueberry.

Love this place when I’m craving donuts and I actually crave donuts pretty often. Came here for the first time and went a little crazy and got 5 for myself. I honestly made a mistake because these taste great when they’re fresh but by the next day they’re not so good anymore.
The donuts are all pretty regular and what is expected when you eat them. I thought two were really interesting and those would be the Reeses one which is really peanut butter-​y but I enjoyed it and the other would be the Snickers bar which was really sweet but I also enjoyed it (I have a sweet tooth.
Sadly I enjoyed some like the lucky charms one too late and it ended up tasting like straight up cardboard.
Overall super cute place and will gladly come here when I crave donuts.

There’s so much hype over donuts from this place. I’m a fan of anything and everything that has green tea so I had to try this place out. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in their green tea donuts. I could barely taste the green tea frosting because the bread was overpowering.
We also got the butterfinger donuts. Those were good. Overall, we think their donuts are just okay.

These guys have a great selection of donuts! I tried the white chocolate strawberry and the banana Nutella, and both were pretty good, although I’d give the edge to the banana Nutella. Next time I want to try green tea or the adorable panda with Oreo ears. I also got a mocha, and while it was good, it was a little too much sugar with the donuts. Next time I’ll just get regular coffee.
This place is open 24 hours so it’s a great place to go if you have a late night sweets craving. Parking is pretty terrible during regular hours though. They do have a lot but it was completely full when we went so we got street parking anyway. We got lucky and found parking close by.
There’s no eat in option here, it’s strictly to go.

Stopped here one night with two friends to get some donuts. I’ve drove by California Donuts many times with the intentions of stopping but there’s always a huge line to order which was always discouraging. So, if you’re coming here be prepare to wait 15 – 20.
The donuts here a good, but I wouldn’t say they are the best. They have a solid selection of creative flavors which are always fun to try. I got the M&M, pink glaze with sprinkles, panda and chocolate thin mint. They were soft and fresh but I kinda felt like they were very heavy.
They did a good job, but I honestly wouldn’t come here to wait such a long time knowing that I can get an equally as good or even better donut without having to wait in line for such a long time.

I’ve come here multiple times already and the line is never daunting for me :) Sure you probably have to wait around 10 minutes but they work fairly efficiently. Docking a star because prices are ridiculous here but I don’t blame them. They’re so famous and successful!
Everytime I come here, I always get the panda donut. Despite many people not liking it and only getting it for pictures’ sake, I actually really like the panda donut! I also recommend the one with strawberries on it and all the cereal ones :) The others can be hit or miss such as the Reeses’ Cup one. Not much to say about the donuts though. Just go and pick some up and take basic pics ;)

3 stars for how cute their donuts are. They panda donut is super adorable. And their crazy combos of cereals donuts make it very interesting for the eye! Therefore they get extremely busy. However that’s all these donuts are good for to look at and to take pictures of.
Honestly these donuts are super stale and they get even more stale by the next day. So if you take any home It’s really wasting your time. I took home the panda donut for my son he looked at it took a bite and spit it right out. It was tasteless and extremely dry and stale. Their cereal donuts get very stale as well. I mean hello it’s cereal it’s bound to get stale. I really didn’t enjoy these donuts as much as I planned to.
It wasn’t as packed when we got there but I know they do get extremely packed I mean it’s only Ktown.
Their customer service is ok. But it’s la I don’t think customer service is very important lol.
Don’t order coffee though worst in history of all coffee!
Sorry I wish I enjoyed this place the hype on it really gets you pumped but a HUGE disappointment.

3 stars goes to creativity and customization! These donuts are very popular and cute, which brings in so much business. I had gotten custom donuts here a few times, which made awesome gifts and stayed fresh the entire day. They also have beautifully decorated and uniquely flavored donuts, which look so good in photos and at the window.
Other than all that, the donuts taste just average. Considering the flavors that they offer, you’d expect them to fulfill all your cravings, but they don’t. The panda donut is basically just a regular donut you can buy at the grocery store with Oreos on top decorated to make a face. As for the custom donuts, although they are cute, they taste basic. The presentation of the donuts by far outdoes the taste and quality.
Not to mention, the «shop» is in sketchy area and parking is a NIGHTMARE. If you have a custom order, you’re allowed to skip the line (which is almost always long) and go to the pick up window, but it’s still completely unorganized. Drive by and see for yourself. It’s a cool place to try out, but if the line is long, I’d skip it.

CA Donuts is the best! They have a huge assortment of specialty donuts and classic donuts. They even have seasonal donuts that are Christmas themed or Halloween donuts. I mean, how can you resist a panda donut wearing a santa hat? I sure can’t.
Parking is a pain, but depending on the time of day you can get lucky with metered spots on 3^rd. It’s located in a tiny strip mall with about 10 spots total — good luck.
The way you order is kind of strange, you point through a big glass wall outside. Don’t be intimidated by a huge line though, they move quickly so it’s never that bad of a wait. Overall, this place is definitely worth the Instagram hype!

I came here around noon on a weekday because I was craving donuts and I was fortunate to be in the area! I heard so many things about this place from Buzzfeed to social media that I have to try this place!
Parking here is a bitch. I was lucky enough to find street parking right in front of the tiny plaza. There is limited parking spaces available but not always guaranteed.
I ordered 4 special donuts because that’s all I really wanted. Also, it was for Instagram purposes since the donuts are photogenic hahaha. I definitely had to get the Panda Oreo donut. In all, the donuts tasted good! Very fluffy and my donuts were freshly made. Prices aren’t that bad. There’s always plenty of people wishing in line to order some donuts~

The panda donuts are what we came here for. I wouldn’t come back here. It’s sketchy. There’s no actual shop. It’s literally a walk-​up window in a strip mall. The service is non-​existent and quite atrocious. Who rings up an order and walks away?! No receipt, no thank you, nada.
We had to ask someone else for the receipt because lord knows what was actually charged on my card.
The donuts were okay, kinda dry and way too sweet. At $ 2-​$ 3 each, it’s a rip off!
Parking was easy for us. We parked down the street. However, people report parking being difficult to find. I wouldn’t come here alone. Safety in numbers!
Open ²⁴⁄₇ to satisfy all your day or night cravings.

Dulce de Leche donut!!! finally

I went here after discovering this place on Unilocal and seeing Instagram photos of Star Wars donuts! I knew I had to go and get my Chewbacca donuts! Overall, I would rate this place 3.5 stars but I will round up to 4 stars.
My boyfriend and I came here around 1130 am… not really a good time to go in my opinion. Parking is very difficult to find. The parking lot is tiny with on a few parking spots, the rest is street parking which is not easy to find either. My friend and her boyfriend were supposed to meet us here but they decided to head on to our next destination because they could not find parking at all. We found street parking after circling the street a couple times and parking a couple blocks down. Although this donut shop is open 24/​7, it is located in K-​town, which is not the best area of LA.
After parking, we walked to order our donuts. You can only order outside, there is no store that you walk into. That is probably for their safety as well, as the area is on the sketchy side. There were several people in line in front of us. I was sad when I didn’t see any Star Wars donuts… but while we were in line, they brought out a fresh tray of Yoda and Stormtropper donuts… but no Chewbacca! We ordered a total of 5 donuts and the total was $ 13. Pretty good in my opinion as I have been to other «special» donuts places, namely one in San Diego were my brother and I ordered about 5 or 6 donuts and that total was about $ 35 plus an hour plus wait. Here we waited for maybe about 10 minutes. We ordered a Stormtropper, Yoda, Christmas marshmallow one, bacon and maple, and the one that’s a cross between a donut and croissant.
The Yoda one was a green tea glazed donut with oreos as the ears. The green tea tasted good! The Stormtropper was a plain donut with glazed decorated to look like a Stormtropper. I would have liked it better if it was filled with something. The bacon and maple tasted really good. A nice blend of the two flavors. I was expecting the donut that was a cross between a croissant and donut to be more crispy, however, it was soft and really chewy. I was not too much a fan of that one. The Christmas one was also a regular donut that was decorated in Christmas colors and had a marshmallow Christmas tree in the center. I wanted the Simpsons donut to compare with the one from Universal Studios, but there were none in sight…
Overall, I liked the donuts. The designs are very cute and the donuts tastes fresh and are soft. The prices are also very reasonable. It’s $ 1 for regular donuts, and $ 3 – 4 for donuts with design or specialty ones. They also sell coffee here. I would pass on the donut/​croissant hybrid ones. I like that you can order personalized donuts, although they are not very cheap. But it can be a cool alternative to ordering a cake. They take both credit and cash here.
Would I come here again? I would like to… but I wish parking was easier to find. I would come here if I was in the area. I probably would not go out of my way to drive to K-​town for donuts as I am not really a fan of sweets anyways. I do think that people should try to check out this place if they can though! Getting donuts here will sure make you a hit with anyone!